17.1【精讲课】第4章 土耳其软糖（3）

本部分为《纳尼亚传奇》第4章第3部分。在本部分中，吃完了土耳其软糖的Edmund欲罢不能，变得非常贪心。白女巫抓住了他的弱点，让他下次把自己的哥哥、姐姐、妹妹都带去她的王宫……

CHAPTER 4

TURKISH DELIGHT（3）

第4章 土耳其软糖（3）

      At last the Turkish Delight was all finished and Edmund was looking very hard at the empty box and wishing that she would ask him whether he would like some more. Probably the Queen knew quite well what he was thinking; for she knew, though Edmund did not, that this was enchanted(对……用魔法) Turkish Delight and that anyone who had once tasted it would want more and more of it, and would even, if they were allowed, go on eating it till they killed themselves. But she did not offer him any more . Instead, she said to him,  
    "Son of Adam, I would so much like to see your brother and your two sisters. Will you bring them to see me?"  
    "I'll try," said Edmund, still looking at the empty box.  
    "Because, if you did come again --- bringing them with you of course --- I'd be able to give you some more Turkish Delight. I can't do it now, the magic will only work once. In my own house it would be another matter."  
    "Why can't we go to your house now?" said Edmund. When he had first got onto the sledge(雪橇) he had been afraid that she might drive away with him to some unknown（不了解的；陌生的 ） place from which he would not be able to get back; but he had forgotten about that fear now.  
    "It is a lovely place, my house," said the Queen. "I am sure you would like it. There are whole rooms full of Turkish Delight, and what's more, I have no children of my own. I want a nice boy whom I could bring up(抚养) as a Prince and who would be King of Narnia when I am gone(离开了). While he was Prince he would wear a gold crown(王冠) and eat Turkish Delight all day long(一直); and you are much the cleverest and handsomest(英俊) young man I've ever met. I think I would like to make you the Prince - some day, when you bring the others to visit me."   
      "Why not now?" said Edmund. His face had become very red and his mouth and fingers were sticky(黏乎乎的). He did not look either clever or handsome(要么……要么……), whatever the Queen might say.  
      "Oh, but if I took you there now," said she, "I shouldn't see your brother and your sisters. I very much want to know your charming(迷人的)relations(家人). You are to be the Prince and - later on - the King; that is understood. 

【文化拓展】

enchanted Turkish Delight

比较早的在文学作品中出现的魔法食物（enchanted food）

    荷马所写的古希腊史诗《奥德赛》或《奥德修记》描写奥德修斯在特洛伊城攻陷后回家途中10年流浪的种种经历。在《奥德赛》中，荷马描述了三名来自奥德赛探险队的水手，他们被派到北非海岸上，结果他们遇到了食莲人。

食莲人（Lotus-eaters），生活在非洲北部海岸上的神话人物。他们以莲的果实为食，这种果实会使人满足和健忘，甚至被称为忘忧果。当三名水手品尝过这种果实后，他们也是越吃越想吃，越吃越爱吃，而人却变得不思不虑，安逸慵懒，完全忘记了要返回船上、返回故乡。

这种莲花果实就是enchanted lotus，lotus eater就成了英语中浑浑噩噩度日的人的代名词。我们这里的enchanted Turkish Delight也有这个效果。